Unexpected Alliances
by Mahou Kitsune
Summary: Minna announces her nuptials to Mio to the 501st, with two very different reactions. First fanfic, so sorry about the rough first draft. Also, am working on the epilogue; currently it is too out of character and painful to read. Hope to have it ready soon. Reposted chapters with updated titles. No changes; thanks to everyone who's read so far!
1. Bombshells

The world dropped out from beneath her feet; it felt as though her stomach plunged down a bottomless pit. The announcement had caught her completely off guard.

"We have an announcement to make," a smiling Minna had declared right after the morning briefing. "Mio and I are going to get married!" Standing next to her, Sakamoto beamed.

Perrine mentally berated herself for being blind-sided. She should have know something was up when all the witches were required to attend the briefing, even Sanya who had just returned from her regular night patrol, and Eila who had just accompanied her the night before.

She had heard the story of Mio planting a wet, sloppy kiss on Minna, but had dismissed that as the alcohol clouding Sakamoto's judgement. Sakamoto had passed out from the alcohol later that day, after all.

Mustering the grace and courage of a high lady of Galia, she stood up with the others and congratulated the two and offered appropriate well wishes. It took all her poise and determination to fight the weakness tingling up and down her legs, and to resist vomiting. She felt as if she were outside her body, far away, falling down a black hole, with no hope of return.

As the other witches swarmed to the happy couple, she quietly slipped out the door at the back of the hall.

Eila felt her familiar's ears twitch. Her magic perception told her something was off. Glancing quickly around the hall she saw Perrine's back as she slid out the door. Using her magic to slip between the other witches, she arrived first to congratulate the couple, pumping both their hands and heartily wishing them a long and happy life together. She allowed herself to be pushed to the back by the other girls swarming Minna and Mio.

With everyone's attention focused on the engaged couple, Eila slipped out the door and started down the hall. She summoned her magic, faintly glowing blue as her familiar's ears and tails manifested themselves. She paused just a moment to get her bearings, then headed of down the side hall that led to the dormitory.

Picking up her pace, she turned another corner and saw Perrine's retreating back near the end of the hall, a mere two doors from her room. Sprinting the last few meters, she reached out and grabbed Perrine's arm, stopping her.

"Let go of me," Perrine growled, pulling her arm away from the Suomi girl. Eila refused to release her grip, pulling Perrine closer.

"I. said. let. go. of. me!" the Gallian witch demanded vehemently.

Eila turned Perrine around and pulled her close. She wrapped her arms around the Galian witch, and whispered to her "I'm sorry, Perrine."

The Galian blonde struggled to free herself from Eila's embrace. Eila simply repeated "I'm sorry; I didn't know. I'm sorry."

The struggle drained from Perrine. She clutched Eila and began quietly sobbing. Eila stroked the bespectacled girls hair while she shook with sorrow.

"I didn't know," Eila said in a very small voice. "I'm sorry." Eila's cheeks grew warm as she saw Sanya approaching tentatively down the cooridor.

Her face burried in the Soumus girls shoulder, Perrine sobbed. "I... I just want what you and Sanya have."

Eila's cheeks burn. Sanya was staring directly into her eyes, her face blank.

The taller girl looked down at her grief stricken comrade. Still stroking her hair, she replied, "shhh. You will. It will come, just give it time."

Sanya embraced Perrine from behind, resting her head between the Galian's shoulders. "Everything will work out," she said to Perrine, so quietly Eila barely heard her.

The muscles in Perrine's body went slack; emotionally drained, she lacked the strength to stand any longer. Supporting the Galian's weight, Sanya and Eila helped Perrine into her room and gently lay her on her bed. Eila slipped off Perrine's shoes while Sanya removed her glasses and set them on the nearby reading table. With deftness from experience, Eila flipped the blanket over the Galian girl, tucking her in deftly. On impulse, Eila gave Perrine a reassuring hug and said softly "we'll see you in the morning."

Sanya and Eila tiptoed backwards out of the Galian's room, easing the door shut with a soft click. They were startled to see Yoshika and Lynette behind them in the hall.

"U-eh!" exclaimed Eila. "Miyafuji! Lynn...!"

"Is Perrine all right?" asked Lynnette, concerned.

"Well... you see... the matter is..." started Eila, her hand scrubbing the back of her head.

"Perrine is very sad," Sanya stated simply.

"Eh?! Why?" the Fuso girl asked.

Eila shot Sanya a brief, dark look. With a resigned sigh, she explained "Perrine was carrying a torch for Major Sakamoto. She was crushed by Minna's announcement."

"Eh!?" Yoshika and Lynn exclaimed at once.

"What should we do?" asked Yoshika, upset by the idea of one of her sqaud-mates in distress.

"Just be her friend," responded Eila simply. "Let her know she isn't alone."

Miyafuji nodded in understanding. Behind her, Lynn smiled in agreement.

"You're such a nice person, Eila," Yoshika exclaimed. "You shouldn't hide it."

Eila's cheeks blazed crimson. Looking down at her shuffling shoes, Eila muttered "It's nothing like that." She finished with a half-hearted "baka."

Yoshika clasped Eila's hand gave it a firm squeeze. Turning to Lynn, she linked arms with the girl from Britania, and the two girls skipped down the hall toward the kitchen where they had lunch duty. Eila and Sanya could hear snatches of conversation as the two went down the hall, "...breakfast tomorrow morning..." "...planting flowers ... base ..." until they turned the corner.

Sanya and Eila returned to their room, and began changing for bed. Sanya was beginning showing her exhaustion, and Eila had night patrol duty with her in the evening. After slipping into her sleeper top, Eila turned around. Sanya was standing a step away.

"Eila?"

"Yes?," she answered tentatively at Sanya's unexpected appearance next to her.

"Do we have something?" Sanya's wide eyes probed Eila's face. Her eyes show the faintest traces of fear.

Eila's ears burned. Her heart pounded, a thousand butterflies dancing in her stomach. "Yes, please!" she replied with desperate longing. Overcome with fear of Sanya's reaction, she stammered: "I... I love you, Sanya."

Sanya blushed. "I love you too, Eila," she said quietly. She closed her eyes and tilted her head up.

Eila closed her eyes and met Sanya's lips with her own. Gently, passionately they kissed, lips tingling with electric thrill.

Sometime later they came up for air, embracing, Sanya's head snuggled un Eila's chest. "You know, you really are nice," Sanya murmured sleepily.

"It was nothing like that," Eila began protesting. "I..."

Sanya's finger on her lips stopped the Soumi girl in mid-sentence. "The proper response it 'thank you'" the Orussian girl corrected. "Thank you," said Eila, almost a question. Sanya began giggling, infecting Eila with her merriment. They kissed again.

Eventually they crawled into bed, exhausted, entwined in each others' embraced. "Good night, Sanya,"murmured Eila. "I love you." Sanya squeezed Eila. "I love you, Eila," she sighed, as both girls drifted to sleep.

That evening Eila and Sanya walked to the hanger. They made their way silently, as usual, but instead of their usual stride of two witches on their way to patrol duties, they held hands, wrapped in their own intimate bubble. They entered their strikers and launched with minimal chatter. After they left the hanger, the man conducting the launch batons said to the flight mechanics: "It's about time!"

"What, do you think...?" said one mechanic.

"Absolutely! Did you see how relaxed they were? I've never seen them like this before."

"Good for them!" said the other mechanic.

"...such a cute couple..."

Duties finished for the day, they made their way to the service personnel section, falling into a discussion of the local football teams, and what to do next leave.

High above, Sanya's magic radar showed clear skies. The radarman in the command tower smiled as the two glowing dots frolicked across the screen.

After an uneventful night patrolling the River Rhine, the two witches returned to base, exhausted. Night patrol, more grueling than day patrol, had taken even more out of Sanya than usual, which was compounded by her being deprived of a significant portion of sleep due to the previous day's events.

She nearly made it to their shared dormitory before before she had to lean on Eila, relying on the older witch to assist her the final distance. Eila gladly helped her out of her clothes and into the bottom bunk, the only one ever used, and covered Sanya with the blanket. After tucking Sanya in, Eila leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead. Sanya's eyes opened groggily, her arms reached around the Soumi girl's neck. She pulled Eila forward and they shared a lingering good-night kiss.

"I love you," Sanya gurgled sleepily.

Eila blushed lightly. "I love you too," she smiled, and gave the Orussian witch one last hug as she watched her fade completely into sleep.


	2. Perrine's Night

Perrine had been miserable.

After Eila and Sanya had left she spent the better part of the daylight hours sobbing in her pillow, wallowing in self pity. The hole in her heart was truly bottomless, and she kept falling into that pit of despair.

He mind was a jumble of thoughts and emotions: why did Sakamoto agree to Minna's proposal? What was wrong with Perrine herself? What did the major see in that Karslander bitch! She could still win the major's heart! Make her see reason! It was hopeless, she would die unloved and alone, muttering crazily to herself with her only friends: dozens of cats. She would be a laughingstock among her peers! Wasn't she pretty enough? Sexy enough? Was it her glasses? Maybe she had been to bitchy with Miyafuji and that had turned Sakamoto off? When did Mio ever show interest in Minna? When did they ever have time for a relationship? She thought the kiss the major planted on Minna's lips were from the copious wine she had drunken! Why had her beloved major rejected her...!

She was reduced to sobbing once again.

It was deep night when she had woken up. She didn't remember falling asleep, but wasn't surprised.

She remained in bed, beating herself up for missing the clues that led to the proposal. She picked apart every little detail, real and imagined, trying to figure out where she had gone astray, why the Major wasn't attracted to her.

Maybe she was too by-the-rules to fraternize with subbordinates, meaning only Minna was available. Maybe she wasn't attracted to blondes. To girls with glasses. To Galians! The bigot! No... that wasn't it - the major evaluated everyone on their merits, of that she was sure.

Maybe she wasn't a good enough soldier; she was a volunteer, after all, and her military training was superficial compared to the Karlslanders, and her experience half a decade less.

Despair exhausted her. Finally, she had to accept that, for whatever reason, she - Perrine - was not the one her beloved Major Mio Sakamoto loved.

It was a bitter pill to swallow. Everything she saw reminded her of her unrequited love. Her family rapier, hung proudly on the wall, crossing blades with the rapier she used to banish the golum, reminded her of Major Sakamoto's Fuso katana. The small shrine on her writing desk with its Fuso flag, picture of the major (cut out of a 501st Joint Fighter Wing group photo), and dried herbs taken from the witches treasure trove under the Romagnia base. Training equipment she used when receiving advanced training from the major. The dormitories, the halls, the bath, the kitchen, the common room, the hangar... There was nowhere on base where she could escape reminders of the major and her failed courtship.

The memories were like knives plunging into her heart, between the ribs. Over and over they stabbed her, mocking her, twisting this way and that to invent new ways of inflicting pain. The more she tried to suppress them, the more violently they gouged her.

The moon's faint glow shone off her alarm clock. It was 0300 hours. Outside somewhere, Sanya and Eila were patrolling the night skies along the River Rhine. She imagined them holding hands and stealing kisses as they kept the Belgica side of the Rhine safe from the mysterious, menacing aliens.

Her plunging stomach crossed the event horizon, to a place where time, space, and direction had no meaning. She hit the limit of her despair. With it came the realization that nothing she did, nothing she was, nothing she could be would change the fact that Sakamoto was in love with Minna, and barring any tragic mishap, the two would be married.

The understanding brought peace; it wasn't a clean peace - it was a peace that swept despair into tidy piles at the side of the soul, clearing the way for a numbing cascade of depression to wash over and envelope her. She got up and went over to her writing table. She stuffed the photo of Sakamoto, the Fuso flag, and other memorabilia into an envelope, which she then stuffed in her trunk. Perhaps she would put them in a scrapbook someday as a memory of her youth. For now, she couldn't bear to see them, but she couldn't bear to throw them away.

For the first time since she left the briefing hall she felt the call of nature. She made her way down the silent hall and to the bathroom. She could hear distant sounds of revelry. The memory knives slipped between her ribs, causing her to stumble on her way back to her room. Leaning against the wall she tried to muster the last of her dignity as a Lady of Galia, but her depression transformed her dignity into indifference. She heaved herself off the wall and staggered back to her room, where she again slipped under the sheets.

Her stamina finally spent, she slipped into a fitful sleep, uninterrupted until the morrow.


	3. Cover Story

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Strike Witches, and am especially glad Humikane Shimada hasn't sent a battalion of striker wearing lawyers to get me. On second thought, if they are wearing strikers, he can send as many as he wants...

A minor update (77 words). I had initially cut out the portion I named "Shirley's gloating grin" because it didn't really add anything to the story. It has become more relevant in the second story, and will be as I combine them into an over arching story.

Thanks for reading!

* * *

A gentle rapping sounded on Perrine's door.

"Perrine?" asked Miyafuji, tentatively. "Perrine, are you awake?"

There was no response. Lynnette and Yoshika looked at each other, trying to decide telepathically whether to open the door and peek in or not. Lacking telepathy, they failed to reach consensus.

"Perrine?" Yoshika knocked again.

Hearing no response, Yoshika reached for the door knob, and carefully opened the door. Peeking inside, she spied Perrine curled up in her bed.

"Perrine?" said Lynnette tentatively. "Is everything okay? We're going to breakfast. Want to come?"

The lump of bedding quivered and made a noise that sounded negative.

"Please?" Yoshika pleaded. "We didn't see you at lunch or dinner yesterday. You must be hungry."

The bedding monster stirred again. A hurricane of thoughts crashed through Perrine's mind. Happy thoughts of crawling away and dying of starvation collided with thoughts of waffles,eggs, sausages, fruit, crepes... Mortification at the thought of seeing Major Sakamoto or - worse - Minna fought with the gnawing hunger at the pit of her stomach. In her distraught state, her stomach won the battle.

The bedding lump shuddered then split open, disgorging the Galian girl. Perrine's cheeks were streaked with salt lines from dried tears. Her eyes were red, her hair disheveled and her clothes looked exactly like what had happened to them. Retrieving her glasses from the reading table and slipping on her shoes, Perrine stood up.

Yoshika and Lynne started for the door with Perrine following.

* * *

Eila slipped quietly out of her room. She wasn't as exhausted as Sanya, but she was close. And she was hungry. She decided to get a little breakfast and return to bed. Sanya had night patrol alone that night, a thought that made Eila a little sad. She idly thought about joining Sanya anyway, a happy but impractical thought she dismissed with a shake of her head. No, she had day patrol tomorrow, and would be completely wiped out if she snuck out to join Sanya on patrol tonight, never mind the issues of maintenance, fueling, and whatnot related to the strikers themselves, not to mention flying unauthorized... No, she decided, better to bring Sanya a pastry or bun with some jam instead. She smiled happily to herself at the thought.

As her mind daydreamed about Sanya's reaction ("Eila, thank you! You shouldn't have!") she saw Miyafuji, Lynette, and Perrine leave Clostermann's room.

"Oi! Where do you think you're going?" she called.

"We're going to breakfa..."

Eila breezed by the junior witches and hooked Perrine by the elbow and practically dragged her back into her room. "What are you doing...?" protested Perrine.

Eila sat Perrine down on her bed and picked up the hairbrush on the Galian's boudoir. Sitting down next to Perrine, she began expertly brushing the bespectacled girl's hair, a task practiced countless times on her sister, Aurora.

Peering into the door, Miyafuji and Lynne watched Eila go over to the Cheffineer and pick out clothes, which she then carefully lay over the chair at the writing desk. Eila then shooed them into the hall, calling to Perrine over her shoulder: "Change quickly and we'll all go down to breakfast together."

They heard shufflng and rustling of clothes, and a short time later Perrine join them in the hallway. No longer was she a disheveled mess.

Eila smiled approvingly. "Now you look like a proper Galian Noblewoman," she pronounced. She hooked one arm each through Yoshika's and Perrine's. "Let's go," she said. "I'm starving."

* * *

Shirley and Lucchini had cooking duties that morning. Breakfast was more savory than sweet, with spaghetti with a garlic, fresh basil, and olive oil sauce; spicy sausages; bacon; eggs; thinly sliced smoked meats; cheeses; and crusty bread. As a sop to those who needed sweet foods in the morning, there were also muffins set out on a plate.

Eila bent over and took a whiff. _Ah!_ she thought. _Lucchini's zucchini muffins!_ She grinned at the alliteration. She grabbed two muffins and wrapped them in a napkin to take back to Sanya, then dished herself up a hearty breakfast. She made a smoked meat and cheese sandwich for later, too, though she couldn't predict which of the two would actually wind up eating it.

She went back to the dining table to drop off her food, then went over to the side table where coffee, tea, milk, and juice were set out for the witches.

Shirley wore a smug grin as she watched Eila pile her plate high with food. As the previous evening's festivities kicked into high gear, speculation turned to who would be the next to tie the knot. Eila and Sanya were the obvious candidates, and there was much speculation regarding the whens and wheres of their relationship.

It amused Shirley that Eila was blissfully unaware of the bets riding on the anticipated stages of her and Sanya's relationship.

"Good morNING!" greeted Lucchini in her sing-song voice. She seemed especially chipper this morning.

"Hi!"

"'Mornin'" Yoshika and Lynn returned.

"Oh! You guys!" interjected Shirley. "You're the first ones here today." A broad grin split her face. "I would have thought at least Barkhorn would have been here by now," she continued, mischievously. Shirley knew quite well that she and the other witches had celebrated the engagement announcement late into the night, raising toasts to the spouses-to-be and trying to pry details of the events leading up to Minna popping the big question. No one would have expected Minna or Mio to make it to breakfast at their normal time, and it was never a surprise when narcoleptic Hartmann missed breakfast. But who would have thought Barkhorn couldn't hold her liquor? Shirley was making it her mission that it would be everyone.

"I didn't see you at the party last night," sang Lucchini when Perrine stood in front of her to get eggs and sausages. "I would have thought would want to congratul-Aiee!"

Shirley deftly kicked Lucchini in the shin from behind the kitchen divider. Hard. The Romagnia girl crumpled out of sight, moaning "oooowie... owie owie owie..."

Time stood still. Yoshika and Lynne were frozen in place, eyes wide saucers of fear. Perrine's right eye twitched convulsively, while her lower lip quivered. She desperately prayed for the earth to swallow her whole, immediately. Shirley grinned desperately through gritted teeth. Why couldn't the Neuroi attack right now? Why couldn't ten thousand Nueroi attack right now? Where were they when you actually needed them?

From her seat, Eila calmly said "I slipped her a shot of Salmiakki liqueur yesterday to celebrate."

Shirley visibly sighed with relief. She would rather drink a tall glass of Sakamoto's fish liver oil than have another of Eila's tongue numbing treats. She remembered Erica's declaration: "This is what Neuroi taste like!" Perrine laid low by a shot of a drink made from that vile substance wasn't hard at all to believe.

"Why does nobody appreciate my national treats?" Eila asked petulantly into her coffee cup.

The girls sat down with Eila and began eating. Perrine smiled appreciatively at Eila's save, while Yoshika and Lynne suggested starting a vegetable garden on base to expand their limited food supplies.

Eila got herself and Perrine another coffee, and the four witches ate together quietly. After finishing they broke into groups; Yoshika and Lynnette to their assigned laundry duties, Eila and Perrine to the dormitories, but not before Yoshika and Lynne had extracted a promise from Perrine to meet later in the day to plan the garden.

* * *

Once they reached their rooms and bade goodbye for the time being, Eila slipped into her room, put the food she had squirreled away on a little plate, and changed into her pajamas. She brushed her teeth at the little sink by the door, then slipped under the covers, wrapping her arms around Sanya. Sanya surprised her long haired girlfriend by rolling over and mumbling "welcome back, Eila." Sanya then planted a lingering kiss on Eila's lips. Eila didn't remember falling asleep in her lover's embrace.


	4. Training

Eila groaned groggily. The noon bugle recording was playing over the PA system.

*We're going to have to work out our schedules better,* she thought to herself. *Otherwise this is going to kill me.* She looked down at Sanya sleeping peacefully in her...scratch that...*their* bed. Eyes closed, mouth slightly open, back gently moving with her slow, peaceful breathing. Sanya was an angel, and Sanya was with *her.*

Even exhausted, she smiled with pure joy. Twenty four hours ago her greatest fear was the girl sleeping beside her didn't feel the same way about her as she did. Now, she knew she loved and was loved, and her heart swelled with the thought.

*Maybe I'll snooze another 15 minutes...* she thought to herself. *No,* she shook her head. She had flight training in an hour; if she snoozed, she'd have to skip lunch, and she'd be hungry during the exercises. Normally she would coast through the training, applying herself as on whim. Seeing several seconds into the future - three at the minimum - Eila knew where everything was, and more importantly, would be at any given moment. She always hit her target, she won hands-down in dog fights, and she had long mastered her maneuvering skills in order to perform the sort of acrobatics required to dodge Nueroi beams at close ranges. Kill ranges.

Minna and Mio had been concerned that although she was excellent pilot and had an impressive kill rate, the fact that she couldn't be hit was making her sloppy. They needen't have worried. Unlike some of her fellow witches, Eila wasn't a volunteer, not that she had less respect for their abilities and commitment to ridding the world of the Nueroi mennace. She had enlisted in the military, had receive top notch training, and above all, was very disciplined. On the battlefield, anyway. If you took Barkhorn out of the equation. And Mio. And Minna. *And* Sanya.

Sanya! Beuatiful Sanya! Sleeping so fetchingly beside her, her silky,milky white skin glowing in the light diffused by the curtains. Her slender neck, her gentle, sloping shoulders, her smooth back, her small, firm rounded ... *Gah!* Eila blushed. *I've got to start getting ready,* she thought to herself.

She leaned over and kissed Sanya on the cheek, the neck, her shoulders... she managed to pry herself away before she went too far and faced disciplinary action for missing training.

Changing into her uniform, *Which one should I choose? Blue jacket, white pants, or maybe blue jacket, white pants? I known! How about white pants and blue jacket! That's living on the edge!* she reflected on the days practice. The wing commander and squad leader had decided the best thing to do was to concentrate her training on consort duty, she would either follow (hah! like that was hard), or more typically, she would lead, providing an evermore difficult target for her wingmate to chase. She had to admit, it was actually exhausting and fun.

At first she effortlessly lost her wingmate, but after a scolding by Sanya (*Sanya!*) she realized it was for the others' safety, and it was a pleasant challenge to train the other witches to keep up with her. And damn! they were getting *good*!

She gave Sanya one more kiss on the cheek (*Sanya!*) and made her way to the dining hall. Miyafuji was on lunch duty, and had typically made Fuso dishes. Eila liked Fuso cooking: it tasted *great*, filled you up, gave you plenty of energy, and rarely weighed you down with a heavy feeling afterwards. Her own Soumus cooking was solid, bland fare by comparison. She mentally made a note to learn some cooking techniques to use for Sanya. (*Sanya!*)

"Eila-san!" greeted Miyafuji. "How are you?" Eila felt as if she had been bitten by a zombie and was becoming the walking dead; instead she said "I'm great, thanks!" Minna had warned her that she would have to choose between day and night patrol, that it would be too difficult to continue to do both for any appreciable length of time. She had a good run so far, and usually she was fine if she got about six hours of sleep after night patrol. But how many hours sleep did she get today? Four? Three? She'd passed out from sheer exhaustion while making out with Sanya this morning, and that had started at eight...

Smiling at the memory of Sanya's sleepy, passionate kisses, she sat next to Lynne and across from Perrine.

"So, how'd the garden go?" she asked playfully.

"Great!" gushed, Lynne. "We decide what vegetables we're going to grow and where..."

"We'll plant tomatoes and peppers at the end of the south lawn, and put cucumbers, zucchini and yellow finger squash by the base so the vines can climb the walls..." continued Perrine with a slight smile. Gardening always improved her mood.

Lynne nodded, "And we're figuring our where we'll plant the radishes, carrots, onions, and lettuce."

As they ate they discussed where to get the seeds near the base, and who had the nearest furlough coming up to get them. Miyafuji came over during a lull in her duties, volunteering to pick some up next supply run with Shirley.

The dining room clock chimed three times for the quarter hour.

"Ah! ' yelped Yoshika. "Training starts in 15 minutes! I have to get ready!"

Lynne, Perrine, and Eila all pitched in to help Yoshika wash the dishes and cookware, making short work of it. Arriving at a sprint, they barely made it to the hanger on time.

Mio let loose with her hearty laugh as the girls huffed with their hands on their knees, trying to regain their breath. "That's what I like to see! Eagerness for training! That's the spirit!" Her face grew suddenly serious.

"Witches, to your strikers!" she shouted. "I'll meet you in the sky."

Sakamoto strode over to her bi-plane, propellers already spinning and taxied for take off.

Sakamoto started training with shadowing training. Eila flew about in ever more complex maneuvers while Miyafuji, Lynne, Perrine, and Hartmann tried to keep up with her. She climbed, dove, and wove in ever complex and unpredictable patterns with each of them for ten minutes, while the others pair played follow-the-leader with Hartmann. The other girls rested while Hartmann tried to keep up with Eila, who gave the tiny Karlslander no quarter.

Sakamoto allowed a ten minute rest while she explained the rest of the day's training: Yoshika, Lynnette, and Perrine were to each shadow Eila in turn as close as possible, while the other girls attempted to "shoot them down" with their orange paint-ball training guns. Eila's training task was to use her future sight to prevent both herself and her shadow from being hit, which would mean modifying her flight path to accomodate her shadow's abilities. Each girl would spend 45 minutes tailing Eila, with 15 minute rest periods between matches. Mio had chosen the Karlsland Super Ace to make training especially challenging for Eila. It was something the Soumus girl was looking forward to.

Eila was sweating from exertion by the time Yoshika and Lynne finished their turns as shadows. Avoiding the hunters and ensuring her consorts could keep up was difficult. Both girls had been hit with orange paint in the beginning. As they grew more focused and attuned to the elder witch, and she to them, she was able to avoid the hunter's attacks. Hartmann had led her hunters in a dizzying array of attack formations and maneuvers in the attempt to trip up Eila and her shadows. As she zipped and spun, rolled and careened, she had little doubt Erica had a earned her Super Ace status.

Eila floated over to Sakamoto's circling biplane with the other witches and drank from her canteen stored in the plane's passenger seat. It had been three long, hard hours of training, with one more hour to go.

Finally, it was Perrine's turn to tail Eila while they avoided the hunters. Eila dove straight for the trees when Sakamoto blew her whistle. Erica hadn't expected the move, losing valuable seconds adjusting to the Soumi girl's maneuver. As Hartmann dove with her wing-witches, Eila performed a sharp Immelmann turn towards and through the Karlslander's formation. She effortlessly breezed between her hunters, but Perrine was slow on her mark. Multiple paint balls slammed into the Galian girl's strikers and uniform. Mio blew her whistle calling off the hunters' chase. They reformed teams in their designated areas.

The next round ended similarly. Eila flew in a tight corkscrew before breaking off, banking high into the sun. Perrine fell behind and missed her queue to bank high, and was hit by cross-fire from Yoshika and Hartmann.

Next she zig-zagged across the Beligica sky, rising, falling, and banking to avoid her pursuers. Perrine was slow and wide on her turns, giving Lynne a clear shot with her Boys antitank rifle. By the fifth "kill" the major ordered a rest.

"Oi, Perrine!" she called over the radio. "Is there something wrong with your striker?"

"I... I don't think so," stammered the Galian.

"I'll check it out," volunteered Eila, buzzing over to her shadow. She pretended to look at and make adjustments to the Galian's strikers.

"What's the matter? Get you head out of the cloud and back in the game, " she scolded.

Perrine looked away. "I... I just don't have the heart for it anymore."

"Wha...? Don't have the heart?! What do you mea... oh, I see!" Eila looked Perrine straight in the eyes, indignation written all over her face. Her long pointed eyes were twitching furiously. "Now listen here, you!" Eila continued, letting her ire flow. "This isn't about you, and it isn't about the major. This is about the Nueroi, and making sure Galia is safe and making sure they never harm those orphans you care for again! Mourn on your own time," Eila snarled, "But right now you focus on making sure the Nueroi regret ever starting this war!"

Eila's words were like a slap in the face. How foolish she had been to let her sorrow over her unrequited love jeopardize those other things she cared for. The wound in her heart still bled, the knives still ached as they stabbed her, but her precious Galia, those poor, resilient children, who had seen so many horrors in the war, and who looked up to her, not only as a teacher and big sister, but to keep them safe.

Perrine nodded to herself, her face full of determination. Despite the gaping hole in her soul, she had a duty to keep the people and places she love safe. "Yokai!" she shouted.

"That's the spirit," grinned Eila, clapping her heartily on the shoulder. "Now let's go and show them some real flying."

Perrine matched Eila turn for turn, rise for rise, dive for dive. She truly was a shadow, cold determination driving her on. Hartmann, Miyafuji, and Lynne couldn't get a bead on either girl as they dodged and twisted. Hartmann's most devious flying and formations left them frustratingly empty handed. It soon became evident that Eila was playing with them; she maneuvered, banked, dove, and twisted, several times tricking them into shooting each other in the cross-fire.

"Kuso!" cursed Erica loudy. "Can she 'gift' her magical powers? It's like Perrine sees the future, too!"

"Sugoi!" exclaimed Yoshika as Eila swooped past her, grabbing her gun from her, and Perrine, hot on her tail put her own gun in Miyafuji's hand.

Lynne was practically in tears, shouting "Gomen! I'm sorry" as her sniper shelled collided into Yoshika and Hartmann's strikers.

At last, Major Sakamoto blew her whistle, signaling the end to the humiliation.

"Witches, to me!" call Mio over the radio.

"Good job, Eila, Perrine," she complimented as the assembled witches took long slugs from their canteens. "What did you do to Perrine's striker, Eila? It performed much better afterward."

"Oh, I uh," Eila thought quickly, "I adjusted the magical output pumps, is all." *That sounds like something I heard in flight school,* she thought to herself. Alt: "I adjusted the magical motivators, is all.

Before Sakamoto or Hartmann could ask for more detail, Yoshika and Lynne broke in, exclaiming "Wow! That's great! Can you look at ours, too?"

Eila smiled nervously and said she would, but maybe Shirley was better suited at striker maintenance.

The witches returned leisurely to base, where Sakamoto suggested they all enjoy the hot bath after a hard workout. Muscles aching and exhausted, they all agreed a soak in the ofuro would be a perfect way to end the day's practice.

Bath time was subdued, as they were too tired for boisterous hijinks. Instead, Yoshika and Lynne teasingly complained about Eila and Perrine playing with them on the training field, while Hartmann teased Eila, intimating that she had abandoned Sanya in favor of Perrine. This got the anticipate rise from Eila, though not as dramatic as she had hoped.

They were joined in the changing room by Barkhorn, Shirley, and Lucchini, fresh back from patrol, who were surprise and impressed to learn how Eila and Perrine had performed - indeed dominated - the training field.

They all met up again half an hour later in the dining room. Sanya was already there, halfway through her dinner. She had night patrol, and while the Belgica airforce was patrolling the skies between witch patrol, everyone - especially the Beligac rank-and-file - felt better when there were witches in the sky.

Eila sat next to Sanya, and patted the spot next to her for Perrine. They were joined shortly by Yoshika and Lynnette, who recounted the drubbing Eila and Perrine had given them.

"You shouldn't be so mean, Eila," Sanya teased, Squeezing her lover's hand under the table. The two junior pilots came to Eila's rescue, protesting that they had learned to be more careful and alert on the battlefield thanks to the lesson.

Eila quickly ate and bussed her plates so she could walk with Sanya to the hanger.

"Be careful out there," exhorted Eila as Sanya finished her pre-flight checklist. She looked about her furtively. Normally the hanger was a-buzz with activity prior to take-off, but the hanger crew had mysteriously vanished since she and her girlfriend had arrived. Seizing the opportunity, she bounded up the support ladder and planted a tender, passionate kiss on Sanya's lips. Surprised, but not unhappy, Sanya returned the passion.

"That's why I always come back," she said softly.

After Eila climbed down, Sanya ignited her strikers. The hanger crew reappeared just as mysteriously as they had vanished, conducting the final checklist. Shouldering her Fleigerhammer, Sanya waited for the aircraft marshal to signal her to taxi and take off. She looked over her shoulder one last time to smile and blow Eila a kiss before she soared into the sky.


	5. Neuroi Attack

Morning. Sanya staggers out of the hanger, through the base, and down the dormitory hall. Fumbling at the door knob, she loosens her tie. Closing the door softly behind her, she begins disrobing in the gloom: shoes, pants, skirt, tie, shirt, a trail of discarded clothes on the floor to lead Sanya and Eila out of the forest should they get lost. Reaching her destination, she tumbles into bed beside her beloved.

A thump in the bed brought Eila to the edge of consciousness. Out of habit she opened her eyes slightly, and began to say "just for tonight." Sanya green, green eyes, half open, were staring into her own.

"Good morning, Eila!" Sanya whispered huskily.

"Hey, good morning! How are you? How was patro... mmmphmmmmmm..."

Sanya planted a kiss on Eila. "I'm good. Happy."

Eila smiled. She had always enjoyed Sanya's Company when she flopped into bed with her. Now more so than ever. Eila kissed her back.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sleepy," Sanya apologized, rubbing her eyes.

"Don't worry," Eila replied, pulling the sheet over Sanya, kissing her shoulder along the way. "You just sleep."

Sanya nestled into place. "Be safe on patrol today," she cooed. "I'll be waiting for you."

Eila was about to say something in response, but Sanya had already faded to sleep. Instead, she smilingly collected the Orussian girl's clothes, folded them neatly, and put them on Sanya's chair at the seance table they used for writing, tea, and fortunetelling.

She met her patrol mates in the dining hall and was treated to Barkhorn's admonitions about eating a hearty breakfast for sufficient patrol energy. Entering the dining hall, Erica told Getrude what Eila was thinking: no one wanted a military lecture first thing in the morning. This set Barkhorn off on a rant about the proper etiquette for a Karlslander soldier, a rant Hartmann blissfully ignored as she wolfed down the breakfast Yoshika had prepared.

The sky was iron grey as they launched from the striker hanger. The witches formed into their teams, Barkhorn the patrol leader, Lynnette Bishop her wingman, Eila was second in command with Perrine as her wingman.

It had been slightly awkward when Minna had briefed them on their patrol mission that morning. Minna had been tense, sensing the complex emotions emanating from Perrine, and puzzled by Eila's lack of tension. The girls had no way of knowing, but Minna was struggling with her own emotions: joy at her upcoming nuptial, but a gnawing sorrow as well. She was already beginning to feel her powers wane. Unlike Mio, she was judiciously conserving her magical energy; she didn't want to lose them completely, and saw a use for them should the war with the mysterious, implacable aliens ever end.

It had actually been another witch who lived in her neighborhood who suggested the profession. The elder witch had been a healer by trade, selling charms, potions, and poultices, and performing greater acts of healing if there was no time to make it to a doctor or hospital.

"You can sense people's emotions, eh?" she had queried, examining the young Minna with squinting eyes. "A matchmaker is what you should become. Hone your skills and you'll be able to find anyone's 'happily ever after.' People will come from miles for your advice and opinions about whether a marriage should go through or not!"

Before the Neuroi had devastated Karlsland, before they had killed [INSERT NAME OF MINNA'S BOYFRIEND HERE] she had thought it was the greatest profession in the world. Helping others find happiness. . . Maybe it still was.

They were to Patrol 100 kilometers to the north and 100 kilometers to the south from their base along the Rhine, and were to note the place and location of any suspicious activities, or noticeable changes on the Karlsland side. The Belgica spotters had reported Neuroi activity on the Karlsland shore, but no attempt to cross. High command wanted to know why the Neuroi were deviating from their usual pattern. (666 words here)

It was late afternoon, there had been no sign of Neuroi activity. The Karlsland side of the river looked as devastated and unchanged as ever. villages reduced to craters, cities being reclaimed by nature. It was an expanse of green interrupted by the burnt skeletons of human civilization.

The patrol had just passed the furthest point of their southern loop and had turned back toward base when the phone in the control room rang. Minna answered, exchanged a few terse words with the soldier on the other end, then hung up.

"Forward observers in Karlsland report Nueroi activity in Sector D-15, confirmed by Belgica spotters," she said to Hartmann.

Hartmann leaned forward and adjusted the radar controls. "Got it, just a faint trace," she reported. She turned to the map table behind her and made a mark on the glass with a grease pen. Picking up a slide rule, she counted to ten as she watched the radar, then made quick calculations with the tool. She made another mark on the glass, and used the edge of the slide rule to draw a solid line depicting the Nueroi's current path according to her calculations, then dotted lines to show possible deviations. She then extended the original line to the end of the map.

"Target appears to be [Name of large city here]," she reported to Minna.

Minna pursed her lips and tapped them with her fingers while she thought quickly. She picked up the radio transmitter and called Barkhorn's patrol.

"Neuroi spotted in sector D-15," Minna's voiced buzzed tinnily in Barkhorn's ear. "heading South by South-West. You are to intercept in grid E-12."

"Yokai!" replied Barkhorn. The other witches had heard the same information. E-12 was a significant distance away; they would have to push themselves at maximum acceleration to intercept in time.

Beligcan anti-aircraft fire was already pounding the Nueroi as they entered sector E-12; the Nueroi pressed on, its beams strafing the ground, destroying swaths of forest, farmland, and gun emplacements. The anti-aircraft guns went silent as the witches flew into firing range.

The Neuroi resembled the blasphemous offspring of a drunken mating between a trilobite and a stingray. The surface was silky black mottled with red hexagons, with small black hexagons that resembled nothing so much as eyes.

Sensing a greater threat, the Nueroi veered toward the witches, sprouting multiple beams at the new arrivals. Eila, Barkhorn, and Perrine dodged the first salvo while Lynnette raised her shield to block a direct hit as she tried to set up her emplacement to provide long range fire support. She had to abandon finding a position from which to snipe as several more beams slammed into her shield.

Eila and Barkhorn swooped in to the target, raining hot slugs on the black and red ship while their wingmen provided covering fire. The shells slammed into the alien ship, kicking up silver shrapnel on impact, but the Nueroi appeared to take no damage. Lynnette scored a direct hit with her Boys Anti-tank rifle, blowing a cascade of silvery Nueroi shrapnel out the other side. The dust cleared, the Nueroi was unscratched.

"Kuso!" Barkhorn grunted. "This Neuroi regenerates faster than anything I've ever seen before!"

"Can you locate the core?" Minna asked from the control room.

"We can't even scratch it!"

Glowering down at the radio, Minna clenched her fists. This was bad - she and Hartmann were able to provide backup; Sanya should be rested enough to provide artillery support as well. That was only three additional witches. Shirley, Lucchini, and Miyafuji had just returned from training, their magic drained. Mio would gladly engage the invader from her biplane, but Minna had no intension to give her fiancee a chance to die gloriously, but vainly, in battle.

"I'm going to request air support from the Belgica Air-force," Minna informed Barkhorn.

"Negative," was the response. "Don't throw away good lives on meaningless gestur... Aw shiest! It's launching drones!"

Gritting her teeth, Minna made the decision.

"Hartmann, to the hanger in five minutes," she ordered. To Barkhorn, she said "Hartmann, Sanya, and I are coming in to reinforce you."

"Yokai!" replied Gertrude. Hartmann was already on the phone to the hanger ordering the ground crew to warm up the striker units.

Minna flicked the PA switch. "Major Sakamoto and Flight Officer Yeager to the control tower in two minutes! Flight Officer Litvyak to your striker! Scramble, scramble, scramble!"

Eila dove low and twisted, firing off a burst from her MG42 at the cluster of drone trailing her. Five bursts of silver dust rained down to the ground below.

"I'm running low on Ammo," she noted.

"Same here," volunteered Perrine.

"That makes all of us," affirmed Barkhorn. They had eliminated the first pack of drones, only to have another sortie exit the main unit. "I hope reinforcements arrive soon." She knew they were on their way, but seconds were more precious than gold.

The Neuroi fired off another volley of beams. Eila wove in between the red-hot lines of death, but the other witches had to throw up their shields, pushed back by the sheer force of energy on impact.

The drones looped around the shields, attempting to catch the witches by surprise. Eila took down two behind Perrine while Gertrude spun and destroyed the ones sneaking up behind her. At the edge of the battlefield, Lynnette was largely ignored.

"I have only one shot left," Lynnette piped in.

Barkhorn frowned. "Save it," she ordered. Lynne's weapon was the only thing that seemed to have any effect on the Nueroi, and even it appeared impotent against the black and red dreadnaught. Barkhorn feverishly calculated a three witch attack...

The Nueroi filled the sky with another volley of beams. Far below, the trees were sliced into even smaller pieces, a road was rendered impassable, and a small village church ceased to exist. The Nueroi had relentlessly pushed them from grid D-12 to B-9; it was almost within striking distance of its target.

"I'm down to my last clip," reported Perrine.

"Me too," chimed in Eila.

Barkhorn felt a gnawing dread in her stomach. They couldn't stop this Nueroi, it was too powerful. They failed. The Nueroi would destroy its target. More people would suffer Chris' fate... She had failed.

Barkhorn felt nauseous as she gave the order: "Witches, withdraw from battle. Orderly retreat to C-10."

Eila closed her eyes in fury. "Iyada!" she bellowed. "Perrine, on my lead."

Face a paroxysm of rage, Eila dove straight down. Without hesitation the Galian witch followed in formation behind her.

"Eila, what the hell are you doing?!" shouted Barkhorn.

Feinting retreat south, the Soumus witch suddenly climbed hard for the Nueroi's underbelly.

"We're two minutes out from your position," Minna's voice crackled over the radio. "Maintain your position until we arrive then retreat from the battle-field."

*Two minutes,* thought Barkhorn bitterly. *We'll be out of ammo by then and the city will be destroyed.*

Sweat beaded on Eila's forehead and upper lip. She wove in and out of the Neuroi beams, climbing to the top of the alien vessel. Perrine followed like an extension of herself. Several times Eila had to break away from the Neuroi only to move back in closer. She fired short bursts into the Nueroi, probing its surface. Relentlessly she dodged beams to get closer.

*What is she trying to do?* Perrine asked herself as they flew closer and closer to the glistening Neuroi. *Are all norther witches crazy?!" As Eila executed a corkscrew to avoid Neuroi beams and get closer at the same time, Perrine suddenly understood Eila's plan. Screwing up her determination even further, she prepared for the last dive.

Eila banked suddenly past red hexagons that sprouted multiple red beam. She doubled back and arrived just inches from the Alien.

Reaching down, she touched the Alien ship's surface with her fingers. It was cool to the touch, hard and smooth like glass - and completely frictionless. The material appeared to be hexagons within hexagons within hexagons. *What the hell is this stuff?!* she asked herself.

She suddenly banked up and away from the Neuroi.

Perrine acted immediate. Planting her palm solidly on the Neuroi, she channeled every last ounce of magic into her signature spell. "Tonneru!" she Shouted as lighting arced through her hand and across the surface of the alien machine.

The surface of the Neuroi exploded in cascade of shimmering silver shards. There, under the sloughing surface was the glowing, spinning, geometric core.

Barkhorn turned and shouted "Lynnette! Fire! Now!"

Lynne Bishop was ahead of her. The anti-tank rifle echoed its signature report. The anti-tank round sped to the enemy ship, given an extra push to the Britania witch.

The Neuroi's regeneration wasn't quick enough. Lynnette's bullet shattered the core. The Neuroi exploded into a shower of silvery shards.

From a distance Minna, Erica, and Sanya saw the Neuroi explode.

"Someone's falling," reported Sanya, her eyes closed to better focus her magical antenna. Indeed, Minna could see a tiny figure falling from under the Neuroi. All three sped towards the battlefield.

Perrine was falling.

The air whipped past her, tugging on her clothers, throwing her hair into disarray. Her body twisted as she fell, her muscles unable to move.

When she discharged her electric blast in the Neuroi, the shockwave of its exploding surface blasted her into the air. Moments later she heard the whine of Lynnette's anti-tank round and the odd glass chime sound of the Neuroi's core shattering.

Already dazed by the explosion, the concussion from the complete destruction of the Neuroi tossed her like a rag-doll into the air. She felt her strikers slipping off her limp body as she tumbled towards the ground. In her crazy spinning kolaedascope vision she saw the city, unscathed. Droplets of blood danced in front of her as fell. She felt numb, but happy. The city was safe. Safe.

She felt two arms wrap about her and a gentle upward motion. She tried to focus her eyes; a silver hair angel was peering into her eyes. Eila had swooped down to catch her, stop her fall. Her arms cradled Perrine under her legs and back, her face was a potrait of conflicting concern and victory.

"You did it!" she said fiercely. "You did it."

Perrine felt her strength rising. She wrapped her arms around Eila's neck, eyes filled with tears of joy.

Lynnette swooped in, grasped the two witches. "Sugoi!" she gushed. "You were marvelous, Perrine." Barkhorn glided in closer to her flight mates, keeping vigilant watch should another bogey appear suddenly.

Reinforcements arrived; Sanya began flying over to Eila before Minna stopped her, saying: "Sanya, is the sky clear?"

"H..hai," Sanya replied. Green magic-antennae appeared as she rotated slowly in the sky. "All clear," she reported.

"You can go," Minna told her simply. Sanya shouldered her Fliegerhammer and flew over to Eila.

As the Karlslanders drifted together, Minna asked "What happened here?"

Gertrude gave a brief report.

"That was reckless," Minna said crossly.

"And it's what she's been training to do," pointed out Erica.

"That's true," replied Minna, thoughtfully.

Hartmann broke away from the group and flew over to the other witches. Barkhorn looked at Minna, concerned. Minna, noticing, smiled and said "We can't let them celebrate alone, can we?"


	6. Vigil

Back at base, Miyafuji stood over the supine Perrine. Erica, Minna, and Sanya had taken turns carrying her back to the airfield; Barkhorn retrieved her strikers and Lynne recovered her Bren machine gun. Eila flew in loops around Clostermann, wracked and useless with worry and guilt.

As the other witches gathered around to celebrate the victory, Perrine sighed, and, eyes rolling back, went limp. Minna performed a quick empathic scan while checking her vitals. Perrine's breathing was shallow, her pulse irregular, and Minna detected no signs of consciousness. Realizing Perrine had been severely injured, Minna ordered the assembled witches back to the base as fast as possible.

The base EMTs had met the witches on the runway, placed her on a gurney, performed triage, and raced to the medical wing while attempting to stabilize her.

Miyafuji was already there with the attendant doctor. After the EMTs placed Perrine on the operating table she expertly cut off Perrine's uniform with specialized scissors, leaving the Galian in her skivvies. Yoshika's ears and tails manifested as she glowed star blue, evaluating Perrine's injuries.

"She has multiple lacerations, severe contusions, internal hemorrhaging, three broken ribs, a fractured femur, a ruptured spleen, and a concussion." Yoshika reported. Smiling, she looked up at Minna. "I've treated worse!"

Then, all business, she said "Now all of you shoo! I need to heal her and you standing around won't help."

As the other witches left, Yoshika was wrapped in a brilliant blue bubble of magical energy. She began her healing arts with the internal injuries, starting with the ruptured spleen, then the concussion. Twice during her healing she asked her squadron-mates to share their magic with her, as she was still low after the day's training.

Finally, after two hours she came out of the operating room. "She's healed; she won't even have a scar," she smiled. Her fellow witches cheered the news. "Shhh!" She continued. "She's going to need rest for a few more days, but she's going to be good as new."

Although she was bone tired, Yoshika graciously accepted praise and thanks from her friends before lumbering off to bed, accompanied by Lynnette. The other witches began breaking up for their own dormitory rooms, chatting about get well gifts for Perrine and thank you gifts for Miyafuji.

Eila stood in the waiting room, dejected. "Is it okay to sit with her a little?" she asked the attendant doctor.

"Sure, if you don't disturb her," the doctor replied compasionately. Eila nodding her agreement. Sanya stood beside her, nodding also.

Minna had also stayed behind. "Eila," she began.

"It's my fault!" blurted Eila, remorsefully. "It's my fault that she was hurt, and if Miyafuji wasn't here, she'd probably be dead!" A tear formed in the corner of her eye.

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Minna said. "If you hadn't tried that maneuver, the Neuroi would have destroyed Holzheim. "

"Still..."

"Still nothing. That's the risk of being a witch. Perrine knows it, I know it, you know it." Minna noticed Sanya gripping Eila's arm tightly, she sensed the dread and loneliness, not to mention love emanating from the Orussian witch. _Poor girl,_ Minna thought. _She fears her own mortality for Eila's sake._

Hard as steel, Minna continued. "I leave you to exercise your best judgment, but the _Ilmatar_ formation is only to be used in the most dire circumstances. No other witch will be injured like this. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes ma'am!"

The Soumi witch was clearly miserable, and not because of the reprimand she was receiving. Softening, Minna said, "After Perrine wakes up, you are to be grounded in your quarters for two days. Flight Officer Litvyak will guard you to ensure you leave your quarters only for meals, bathing, and calls of nature. Is that understood?"

"Y..yes," replied Eila, in puzzled wonderment. Sanya indicated her understanding as well.

"Good. Dismissed." Minna turned to go. As she exited the waiting room, Eila heard her muttering "...owe five karlsmark to Shirley...".

* * *

They sat with Perrine the entire night. Eila fell asleep sometime after 0100 hours, head on Sanya's lap curled up on the visitors' couch in the room. Sanya looked down lovingly at her girlfriend, stroking her hair.

Eila woke at 0600 with the morning bugle recording and switched places with Sanya who was barely able to keep her eyes open. She was running her fingers through Sanya's hair when Perrine woke up.

"Eila?"she said weakly.

"Perrine!" Eila's entire being rediated happy relief. "You're awake! How do you feel?" she asked with concern.

"Okay. Tired." She smiled thinly.

"Oh, Perrine! I... I'm sorry! I was reckless! I didn't think about your getting hurt! I saw you live through the attack! I didn't know you'd be injurred! I'm so sorry." The words gushed out of Eila, her voice cracking by the time she finished.

"It's okay. It's not your fault. I forgive you." Perrine replied. Squinting, she saw Sanya sleeping in Eila's lap. "Have you been here all night?" she asked.

"Y...yes. I wanted to make sure you were all right. And... and to apologize." her brow was scrunched in worry and contrition.

Perrine smiled again. "Thank you," she said humbly.

Sanya shifted with a sigh; reflexively Eila stroked her hair from brow to neck.

"Why are you being so nice to me these past few days?" Perrine asked.

Looking furtively down at her sleeping lover, Eila replied, "I know how you felt when Minna made her announcement. I wanted you to know you have friends - you aren't alone."

"But Sanya loves you," Perrine exclaimed, surprised. Pocketknives of sorrow poked at her sternum.

Eila blushed. "I... I didn't always know that," she admitted. "Everyday I worried: maybe she didn't, and it nearly killed me." She looked up at Perrine.

"But why do you care?" Perrine pressed. She and Eila had never hit it off. Usually Eila's attention involved teasing her mercilessly, or pulling some kind of prank.

Sanya purred in her sleep as Eila absent-mindedly stroked her back with her fingernails.

"Because beneath that haughty exterior, you're a nice person," Eila said simply. "You give so much of yourself. You donate all your pay to the Galian Reconstruction Fund. You've even sold off irreplaceable heirlooms to help out. Miyafuji told us about the orphan children you've taken in and teach." Eila looked at Perrine with admiration. "You do it all without bragging or making a big deal about it. You're a good person. You have friends who support you, and you should know it."

It was Perrine's turn to blush. She didn't realize that her charitable work was known to witches other than Yoshika and Lynnette. But she was more embarrassed that Eila was telling her this. It was obvious by the way she stuttered, figited, and chose her words that Eila was not used to speaking honestly about her feelings. Perrine considered Eila's honesty the greater compliment.

"You're a good person, too, Eila," Perrine said. "Thank you for being my friend."

Clearly embarrassed, Eila played with her fingers. "Th...thank you," she said quietly.

Sanya stirred, opened her eyes. "Ah! Perrine! You're awake, good!" She sat up, "How are you feeling?" the Orussian asked.

"Much better now, thank you."

The Doctor attendant came into the room. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave now," she told the two witches, preparing to take the Galian witch's vital signs.

Eila helped Sanya up.

"Get better soon," said Sanya.

"Yeah," agreed Eila. Mischief twinkling in her eyes, she leaned forward and gently pinched Perrine's cheeks. "You better get well soon, cranky four eyes!"

With a wink, she led Sanya out the door.

つづく


	7. Interlude - Tea Time and Wedding Plans

**Disclaimer: **I don't own strike witches.

The "Unexpected Alliances" story is pretty much finished. I haven't marked it "complete" yet because I plan to edit the draft in a couple months to tighten it up. This story is part of a larger story arc I am working on that includes the "Misunderstandings" story.

This interlude comes after the events of "Unexpected Alliances."

As always, my thanks and appreciation to everyone who had read, commented, favorited and followed. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

It was the first time in a long while that the schedules of the 501st aligned to give every witch a free afternoon. To help everyone relax and enjoy the down time, Minna had organized a tea in the common room.

The witches were scattered about the room engaged in various activities - chatting, playing cards, reading, and otherwise generally enjoying themselves. Minna and Sakamoto sat at a table near the windows opposite the main door, sipping tea, taking bites of cake, catching up on correspondences. Mio was reading an official looking letter from Fuso; it was covered with kanji and kana, and decorated with multiple, impressive looking stamps.

"Oh ho! The Fusan navy approved my request for three barrels of sake!" she announced triumphantly to Minna.

"Three barrels?" asked the Karlsland witch. "Why do you need that much sake?"

"For the wedding, of course," replied the Fuso witch.

"For the wedding?"

"Of course. It's required at a traditional wedding." Sakamoto looked dreamily into the distance. "The groom dressed in _hakama_ and _haori_, and the bride in white _kimono_ and _tsunokakushi_, kneel before the priest at separate tables and perform the _San-san-kudo_; exchanging sake three times in special nuptial cups." To herself, Mio said thoughtfully "I need to see if I have time to requisition some tatami..."

"You were thinking of a Fusan style wedding, then?" Minna asked carefully, smiling nervously.

"Of course. What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking we'd have a traditional Karlsland wedding. You'd be in a black tuxedo, I'll be in a white lace dress. We'll have Lucchini shower flowers on the ground before us and Miyafuji and Lynnette carry my train. After the priest marries us, we'll exit the church while our squad-mates shower us with rice," Minna explained, dreamily.

Sakamoto looked stunned. "...rice? Rice? _GOHAN_?!" Sakamoto's rising voice shook Minna out of her reverie.

"What's the matter with rice..." the redhead began.

"What's the... what's the matt..." sputtered Sakamoto, "That's _food_! You may as well have Barkhorn flinging sausages around... or wiener schnitzel... or..."

"Strudel!" clapped Hartmann joyously. "Throw strudel, Trude!"

"I'm not throwing strudel!" objected Barkhorn.

"Spaghetti Carpaccio!" sang Lucchini, hands to her face with glee.

"Oh! I know! Hamburgers!" Shirley chimed in, looking over at Barkhorn. "You can throw hamburgers!"

"I'm not throwing any f..."

"Pickled herrings!" blurted out Eila, hand raised and happy grin on her face.

The others turned to look at her, eyes wide with amazement mixed with horror.

"No, Eila," said Sanya quietly, placing her hand on Eila's knee. "Just... No."

"Okay, not rice. How about bird seeds, then?" suggested Minna, not noticing the commotion from the other witches.

"Oh, perfect. We'll invite pigeons to poop on our heads!"

Terrible image suddenly seared into her thoughts, Miyafuji put her hands on her head and probed her hair for wet spots.

"Filthy little feathered rats..." growled Sakamoto darkly.

Crossing her arms across her chest and looking away from the others, Eila complained sulkily, "Why does no one like my national treats?"

"...that's your familiar talking, Mio," Minna said, trying to soothe her fiancée.

Perrine looked positively sick listening to the Major and Minna bickering over their wedding plans. Lynnette leaned over and gave her a reassuring hug.

"We can throw something else, you know," said Minna, chasing after her Fusan lover as she stormed out of the room. "We could throw bits of colored paper or..."

"Cannoli! Throw cannoli Barkhorn!" sang Lucchini, waving her arms.

From outside the common room's closed door, Gertrud Barkhorn's indignant voice could be heard thundering "I AM NOT THROWING ANY FOOD!"


End file.
